the-fence-the-cows-and-their-thoughts

Nice story, smokin! My hubby takes our two cats for a walk along the field at the back of our house every evening (without a leash, I might add). The route takes them past the horse paddock, where the horses come to look at them, sometimes the cats walk along the top of the fence. They then continue to the woods, where there is a picnic table. Hubby smokes a ciggie and the cats have a good old sniff around, then it's slowly back home. The whole walk is about 800 meters, cats are dog (cat!) tired afterwards!

It reminds me of when I was out riding on Mendip there use to be a herd of ruby red cows that use to graze there.They were such good escape artist and would hanging around the gates to see who leave it open.They once or twice escaped into the wood and were on the run for a month.We would come across them standing in the middle of the path with their young, gently chewing the cud and refusing to get out the way.on the whole they would ignore you and did no chasing unlike some herds.Ithink they are now confined to a secure feild...but for how long?

Hi Smokin, I know what you mean about the peace and simple living in France. For several years we had a little cottage near a tiny village in Allier, inbetween Vichy and La Palisse. Unfortunately we found we didn't have enough time to spend there and every time we went everything was overgrown. In the end we sold it to an English couple who were planning to retire there. An interesting fact was that most of the people we knew there disliked Parisiens and insisted that Paris is not France!

It sounds like you've found the perfect place, Smokin. It helps to speak a bit of French, too. Talking with the neighbours certainly improved our school French, and with hands and feet and a few mutual aperitifs with lots of Ricard we got on quite well. It was our original plan to retire there too, but as I said, things got a bit too much and retirement was still a long way away. In the meantime we've bought an old house in the country here in Switzerland with a lovely garden which keeps me occupied and hubby enjoys mucking around in his cellar workshop.

Smokin Donkey, your story starts a bit like mine. My husband worked really long hours in London. We lived in the country, long commute as well. He had always wanted to move to France one day, but he started getting chest pains so we sold up and came to north Dordogne in1985. The children were still small. He bought a business here, but there was far less hassle and we lived on less. Chest pains went and he was happy. But in 98 he died of a heart attack. But I think living here made him happy and kept him alive longer.

My old farmhouse has no near neighbours and was empty for 6 years. Surrounded by woodland and fields with wild flowers. I made a garden and it's full of birds and wildlife.